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Show YAmmr I'll COPYRIGHT 1907 AY ECBSStlZRPtLL c6ZJV&JWi3J& M V SYNOPSIS. fSonntor Morloy Vernon's visit with his llnni'op was Inturmiitcd by u cull from bis political lio88 at tho stntu inplttil. Hotli regretted It. tho Rlrl nmre than he. Iiei'imse Bho hud nrrnriKiMl to attend n. llntier thru nvenlnc with him. She nia fllie yenrneil for n. nntlnnal ofllee for him. On -Vernon's desk In tho senuto ho found a red roue, accompanied by u plen for ptirfrnKu for woini-n. Ho mot tho au-tlioresH, au-tlioresH, pretty Miss Maria Grcono of t hlcaKo. who proposed to convert him Into vntinK for liouso resolution No. 19. Miss Greene secured Vernon's promise to vote for the sufTniKe resolution. Ho also nlded her liy c-onvlnclnp others. Ho took a llklntr to the fnlr sufTrnKette. Mls3 Greene consulted with the lleutennnt-Rov-ernor. Vernon admitted to himself tlmt the snrfrauette had stirred a strange fcel-IiiK fcel-IiiK within him. He forgot to read his fiancee's letter. Vernon mado n sreat speech In favor of suffrace, nlded by Klances from Miss Greene. Tho resolution was made n, speelnl order. Vernon was enthusiastic on the prospects for tho resolution. res-olution. He was much In Miss Grcono'fl company. Vernon neglected thoughts of Amelia. ITo took Miss Greeno driving nnd' laid out plans for tho success of tho resolution. reso-lution. CHAPTER VII. Continued. "I did not cn.ro to lead a useless Ifo," lie said "I wanted to do something some-thing to havo some part In tho world's work. Tho law seemed to bo a .ospectablo profession and I felt that mnybo I could do somo good In politics. poli-tics. I don't think tho men of my clnss tako as much interest in politics as they should. And, then, I'd llko to mako my own living." "I havo to mako mlno," said Maria Greene. "But you never thought of teaching, teach-ing, or nursing, or well painting or music, or that sort of thing, did you?" 'INo," she replied; "did you?" Vornon lnughed at an absurdity that needed no answering comment, and then ho hastened on: "Of course, you know I think It flno that you should havo dono ns you have. You must havo met with discouragements." dis-couragements." She laughed, and Vernon did not noto tho bitterness there was concealed con-cealed In tho laugh; to him It scorned intended to express only that polite deprecation demanded in tho treatment treat-ment of n porsonnl situation. "1 can Hympathlzo with you there," said Vornon, though Miss Grcono had not admitted tho need of sympathy. Perhaps It wns Vernon's own need of sympathy, or his feeling of tho need of It, that mado him confess that his own family and friends had novcr sympathized sym-pathized with him, especially with what ho called his work In politics; he felt, at any rate, that ho had struck tho right nolo at last, and ho went on to assure her how unusual it wns to meet a woman who .understood public questions ns well as she understood them. And It may havo been his curiosity curi-osity that led him to inqulro: "How did your peoplo feel about your taking up tho law?" Miss Greeno said that sho did not know how her peoplo folt, and Vernon again had that baffled sonso of hor ovading him. "I've folt pretty much nlono In my work," ho said. "Tho women I know won't talk with mo about It; thoy won't oven read tho nowspapors. And I've tried so hard to Interest them in it!" Vornon sighed', nnd ho waited for Miss Greeno to sigh with him. Ho did not look at her, but, ho could feel hor presenc'o there close besldo him. Hor gloved hands lay quietly In -her lap; sho was gazing out oyor tho prairies. Tho light winds wcro faintly Btlrrlng hor hair, and tho beauty of It, Its warni red tones brought out by tho burnishing sun, suddenly overwhelmed him. Ho stirred nnd his breath camo hard. "Do you know," ho said, in a now confidence, "that this has been a great day for mo? To moot you, nnd to know you ns I think I do know you now! This morning, when I was spoaklng. I felt that with you to help mo, I could do great things." Miss' Groeno drow In hor .Hps, as if to compress tholr fullness; Bho moved nway on tho seat, and raised hor hand uneasily and thrust.lt undor hor veil to put back a tress of hair " that had strayed from Its fastening. Vornon saw the Hush of hor whlto chocks como and go. Her eyebrows woro drawn togother wistfully, arid In hor bluo. eyes, that looked far away through tho, meshes of hor dotted veil, there-' yas. a llttlo cloud of trouble Sho 4 t caught her lip delicately between tho edges of her teeth. Vernon leaned hllghtly forward ns If ho would poor Into her face. For him tho day had grown suddenly hot, the spring had developed de-veloped on tho Instant tho opprcsslvo heat of summer. Ho felt Us lire; ho could seo Its intensity vibrating in tho air all about him, nnd ho hud a sense as of nil tho summer's voices droning In unison. Tho reins dropped from his listless fingers; tho horso moped along as it pleased. "I havo always folt It, vaguely," Vernon Ver-non wont on, his voice dropping to a low tone, "and this morning it was suddenly rovcaled to mo " Miss Groeno raised her hand as If to draw It across hor brow; her veil stopped hor. "Let's, not talk about that now," sho pleaded. "Let's enjoy tho air and tho country. I don't havo them often." m ' mm Vernon Had Left Her at the Hotel. Hor hand fell to hor lap. Tho color had gono out of her chooks. And Vernon Ver-non suddenly felt that tho Summer had gono out of tho air; a cold wind was blowjng ns over soiled patches o snow loft In shaded doprosslonB of tho fields; tho earth wnB brown nnd baro; tho birds woro silent. Ho Jerked tho horso smartly, and It gave an .angry toss of Its head, as It hroko Into Its tontatlvo trot. "I do wish you could know tho women I know," said Vornon, obviously obvi-ously breaking a sllenco. Ho spoko In an entirely different volco. "I moant to put it tho othor.way. I meant that I wish ihey could know you, nnd I moan that they shall. You would bo a rovolatlon to them." MIsb Groono smiled, though hor faco wau now careworn, almost old. 'ri "Right along tho lino of; our constitutional consti-tutional amendment, now," ho said, with a briskness, ;'do you, think tho women will become" lntorosted?" "Tho women of your acquaintance, or of mlno?" nsked Miss Greene. "You'ro guying," said Vornon, and when Miss Greene seriously protested, Vernon said he meant all tho women, as politicians pretend to mean all tho' people, when they mean only tho party. "I'm nfrald not," sfic snld. "They could have tho ballot to-morrow If they'd only nsk for It Tho trouble Is they don't want It." "Well, wo must educate them," said Vornon. "I havo greaf'hopes that tho women whom I know will bo aroused by what wo aro doing." "I havo no doubt they will," said Miss Greene. There was something cnlgmatlcul In her words, nnd Vernon glanced uneasily at her again. "How do you mean?" he asked. "You'll learn when you seo the newspapers to-morrow," said Miss Greeno. "Do you think they'll hnvo It in full?" nsked Vernon. Ho was all alert, and his eyes sparkled In a now Interest. Inter-est. "On tho first page," Bho replied, with conviction. "Havo they your picture?" pic-ture?" "I don't know," Vornon replied. "They can got It, though," ho added, thoughtfully. "They keep tho portraits of all distinguished dis-tinguished public men on bund," Miss Greene said, with a certain reassurance reassur-ance in hor tone. "Oh, well, I hope they'll not print It," said Vernon, as If Just then recalling recall-ing what was expected of a distinguished distin-guished public man undor such circumstances. cir-cumstances. "That's ono of the penalties of being In public life," she answered with a curious smllo. "A penalty tho Indies will be glnd to pay when our reform Is accomplished; Isn't that so?" said Vernon, seeking relief in a light bantering tone. "I thought wo woro not going to talk politics," sho said, turning nnd looking at him. Sho ndjusted hor hat and held herself resolutely orect. Tho sun was going down behind tho prairies, tho"' afternoon was almost gono; as thoy" watchod tho sunset, Miss Groono broke tho sllenco. "It's a familiar sight," sho said, and Vornon thought that ho had a cluo at last. Sho must know tho prairies. "It Is Just llko a sunset nt sea," sho added. When they had driven back to tho town nnd Vornon had loft hor at tho hotel, ho turned to drive to tho llvory stable "By Georgo!" ho said, suddenly, speaking to hlmsolf. "I haven't read Amelia's letter!" Ho fumbled in his coat pockot, CHAPTER VIII. Miss Greono's prodlctionB "wore all realized 'in tho sensation Vornon's i speech created. Tho newsDapore gavo fl whole columns to it and Illustrated fl their accounts with portraits of Ver- H non and of Maria Greene. Vornon B thought of tho pleasure Amelia must B Unci in his now fame, and when ho M wrote to her ho referred briefly but 'Zn with tho proper modesty to his re- mnrkablo personal triumph, and then jfl waited for her congratulations. jfl The legislative session was drawing jfl to a close; the customnry Friday ad- H Joummont wns not taken, but sessions jfl wcro held that day and on Saturday, H for tho work was piling up, the pro- crastlnntlng legislators having left It fll all for the last minute. i The week following would seo houso 'rj nnd senate sweltering In shirt sleeves 1 and night sessionB, and now, If a bill n wcro to become law It was necessary i mS that Its sponsor stay, as it were, closo beside It, lest In tho mighty rush or w the last few days It bo lost. Vornon, by virtue of his speech, had assumed tho championship of tho woman-suffrago resolution, and ho felt It necessary to forego bis customary visit to Chicago Hint week and remain over Sunday in Springfield. He devoted tho day to composing a long letter to Miss Greone, in which he described tho situation in detail, and suggested that It would bo well for her, If possible, pos-sible, to come down to Springfield on Monday nnd Htay until tho resolution hud been adopted. Ho gavo her, In closing, such pledges of his devotion to the cause of womankind that sho f could hardly resist any nppeal ho V might mako for her presence and as- slstanco. 3 On Monday he wired, urging tho I necessity of her presence. Tuesday j morning brought him a reply, thanking thank-ing him, In behalf of women, for his , disinterested devotion to tholr causo, nssurlng him of her own appreciation ', of his services, nnd saying that sho would reach Springfield Wednesday I morning. ' Meanwhile ho had had no letter from Amelia, and ho began to wonder at her silence. Ho was not only disappointed, dis-appointed, but piqued. Ho folt that his achievement deserved the promptest prompt-est recognition from her. but he found a consolation, that grew In splto of him. In the thought that Maria Greeno would soon bo In Springfield, and to his heart he permitted Amelia's silence si-lence to Justfy him -In a freer Indulgence Indul-gence of attention to this fascinating woman lawyer. Tuesday evening tho crowd, that grows larger as tho session nears Its-' close, filled the lobb: ,W tho Loland. Tho night wns warm, nnd to tho heat of politics was suddenly added tho boat of summer. Doors nnd windows woro flung wide to tho night, and tho tl Egyptians, used as thoy wero to tho sultry ntmosphcro of southern Illinois, strode lazily about under their wido slouch hats with waistcoats open and cravats loosened, delighting In a now causo for chaffing the Chicago mon, who had resumed their customary complaints of tho Springfield weather. i (TO I3K CONTINUED.) ' |